


Serenity in Red

by Brainblow



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Fluff, Gen, Minor NDRV3 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 22:51:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brainblow/pseuds/Brainblow
Summary: Maki's normally not one to comfort, but when a sleepy magician stumbles in, she makes an exception.





	Serenity in Red

**Author's Note:**

> There are character-specific spoilers, so maybe skip out if you want to stay clean.

Himiko would often quietly slink off whenever she sensed that Tenko and Angie were about to get themselves involved in something...tiring. She certainly enjoyed being around the girls' distinctly different energies, but she couldn't remember the last time they actually wanted to calm down.

But when she lazily stumbled along the school hallways and into her homeroom, her normal napping spot, she didn't expect the stoic Ultimate Assassin to be quietly reading to herself at her desk. If this happened at any other time, Himiko would be put on edge and slowly back away as Maki stared at her.

But for whatever reason, Himiko instead decided to let out an exasperated "Nyeeeeeeeeh" and shuffle over to Maki's desk. Maki looked up with a mildly surprised expression, and before she could respond to the sleepy look on Himiko's face, Himiko fell asleep on her lap, hat tumbling to the floor.

After taking a few seconds to process what exactly just happened, Maki sighed. Were this anyone else, even Kaito, their head would have been lodged squarely in the ceiling seconds ago. She felt uncomfortable whenever someone was physically within a foot of her, so the idea of being a lap pillow was disturbing to her core.

Yet as she was raising her arms to wake Himiko up gently, she paused. She couldn't quite place why, but she didn't want to wake her up. Something about Himiko's subdued smile in her slumber, or perhaps the way the light of the sunset complemented her exposed hair, or perhaps how she knew that Himiko was almost incapable of ill will to anyone not named Ouma, or perhaps the idea that of all the places she could have slept, she chose her. Whatever the case, she found herself instead delicately petting Himiko and being rewarded with her contented murmurs. She even felt the smallest smile coming across her face.

It was all very strange, really. She never regarded Himiko with anything besides quiet indifference, and Himiko always seemed unsettled by her, and yet here they were, as if they were best friends about to close the book on a long day. Her repetitive but light and controlled strokes, combined with Himiko's occasional hums of satisfaction, felt soothing. It would make at least some sense if Maki actually was the Ultimate Child Caregiver, since Himiko was easily the most childlike of the class, but in reality it was only a front for her true talent.

But even for just this moment, she wondered if this was what being an actual child caregiver was like. The kids at the orphanage adored her, sure, but in her mind she didn't do much to warrant it. This, though...

"Himiko!"

The loud and sudden presence of a panting, out-of-breath Tenko interrupted Maki's musings. The exhausted aikido master stopped to take a breather before stumbling over and yelling "Himiko, please tell us before you-"

Maki's intense glare caused Tenko to freeze in place. For how taciturn she was, Maki's eyes were rather expressive, and she was clearly telling Tenko to stop whatever she was doing. (She had a lot of practice at the orphanage.) 

"I think it would be best to quiet down."

Despite being rattled and slightly confused, Tenko tensed up, shot back a defiant glare, and whispered.

"You're not planning to hurt Himiko, are you?"

"I only hurt who I need to hurt, and I don't think Himiko needs to be hurt."

Tenko then loosened up and observed quietly as Maki gently resumed her petting, Himiko still deep in sleep. After a while, Tenko stared to the side and asked with a blush, "C-can I..."

Maki set down her arm and silently motioned Tenko over. Tenko pensively started petting Himiko, and as she eventually found a good rhythm, Maki saw Tenko with a genuinely adorable smile and deepening blush, clearly beyond content with her current situation. It reminded Maki of how Kaede would describe her whenever she was having tender moment with Kaito.

After a while, Tenko stopped petting and explained, "Tenko really needs to go and help Angie with her project. How long ago did Himiko start sleeping?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

"Then Himiko should wake up any minute now. Could Maki...keep Himiko company until then?"

Maki resumed petting Himiko with the same delicate touch as before.

"I think I can do that."

And with that confirmation, Tenko gave Maki an energetic bow and scurried back outside the classroom. It was back to the two of them in Maki's seat, and as Himiko slowly started to stir, Maki found that same small smile coming back to her face.

She definitely wasn't planning to get any closer with her other classmates, or even Himiko, any time soon, but even if it was just in this one moment, she was content with how close she and the snoozing magician were.

And she felt an inner peace that she hadn't felt in a long time, a feeling that right now, everything was all right in her world.

**Author's Note:**

> In the wake of the Steam page for DRV3 going up, I felt an itch to jump back into the character dynamics again. I do want to wait until the game comes out so I can get a better grasp of all the characters, but this felt innocent enough to do.
> 
> I kinda just want to see more between these two. I like the idea of them being quiet, subdued friends.
> 
> And hey, I wrote something not involving the pairing I'm unhealthily obsessed over. Gotta count for something, right?


End file.
